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WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the heels of Mother’s Day, Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) joined U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tina Smith (D-MN) today to re-introduced legislation to expand healthcare options for expectant mothers. Watson Coleman, Brown, and Smith’s bill, the Healthy Maternal and Obstetric Medicine (Healthy MOM) Act, would ensure that all women eligible for coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance marketplaces, as well as women eligible for other individual or group health plan coverage, can access affordable health coverage throughout their pregnancies. The bill would do this by establishing a special enrollment period (SEP) for expectant mothers. Right now, marriage, divorce, having a baby, adoption and changing jobs are considered qualifying life events that trigger a special enrollment period. However, becoming pregnant is not considered a qualifying event.

Research has widely shown that prenatal care leads to healthier mothers and babies, and such care comes with the burden of high out-of-pocket costs without access to the appropriate health insurance. The Healthy MOM Act will allow women to sign up for or change their coverage when they become pregnant, rather than needing to wait for the birth of their child or the annual enrollment period. The bill would also guarantee 12 months of continuous Medicaid eligibility for postpartum women, thus removing key barriers that often prevent mothers from getting the care they need after birth.

“No mother-to-be should ever have to worry about how she will get the healthcare she and her baby need throughout her pregnancy and post-partum,” said Brown. “Better access to care means better outcomes for moms. This legislation will help expand coverage options for pregnant mothers so that they can access the care that best meets their needs.”

“When mothers are preparing to bring a child into the world or thinking about caring for their new baby, there shouldn’t be the added stress of not knowing whether they’re eligible for quality, affordable health care,” said Smith. “This bill would guarantee health care coverage for pregnant women and those who’ve recently given birth. It’s the year 2019—expanding comprehensive maternal care, and ensuring a high standard of care, needs to be the law of the land in our nation.”

“Events like the birth or adoption of a child, marriage, divorce, or even moving to a new state all trigger a special window to get or change your health insurance while pregnancy, one of the most life-altering events a woman can experience, doesn’t,”said Watson Coleman. “We’re dealing with maternal mortality rates that are, in some places and among some groups, worse than developing nations. Ensuring every woman can access the care she needs during pregnancy and after giving birth is a critical part of ending this crisis. This is a simple, logical way to make sure that happens.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 700 women die each year in the United States from pregnancy-related complications. Black and American Indian/Alaska Native women are about three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women. The Healthy MOM Act will work to improve these outcomes by expanding quality access to care, which data demonstrates could help prevent three in five pregnancy related deaths.

Specifically, the Healthy MOM Act would:

Create a special enrollment period (SEP) in the ACA marketplaces and other commercial insurance plans for pregnant individuals once pregnancy is reported, so that they can enroll in or change their healthcare plan;

Enable the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to establish a special enrollment period for pregnancy, for those eligible to receive coverage through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and clarify that the enrollment shall be available for families even during a lapse in appropriation or government shutdown;

Ensure comprehensive coverage of maternity care – including labor and delivery – for dependent children covered by group health plans and other forms of employer-sponsored coverage;

Protect against threats to Medicaid income eligibility and maintain the highest standard of care for low-income pregnant individuals and infants, and

The Healthy MOM Act is endorsed by the American College of Nurse Midwives, March of Dimes, MomsRising, National Women's Health Network, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), National Birth Equity Collaborative, Advocates for Youth, NARAL, Young Invincibles, Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, National Health Law Program, NOVA Birth Partners and Black Mammas Matter Alliance.

TRENTON, NJ –To ensure anti-bullying laws in New Jersey are successful in protecting students, legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Robert Karabinchak and Verlina Reynolds-Jackson to establish an anti-bullying task force to evaluate current law was approved by the full Assembly, 75-0.

“I’m very proud that New Jersey was first in the nation to implement an anti-bullying law ...

MIDDLESEX COUNTY COLLEGE - A total of 1,422 students who graduated from Middlesex County College on Thursday, May 23 at the Rutgers Athletic Center. Approximately 725 members of the class participated in the exercises, representing the 350 graduates of August 2018; 364 from January 2019; and 708 of May 2019. Participants included several students who fulfilled the requirements for more than one ...

MIDDLESEX COUNTY COLLEGE - A total of 1,422 students who graduated from Middlesex County College on ...

SPOTSWOOD, NJ - Cub Scout Pack 35 will be collecting socks at the borough's annual Memorial Day Parade on May 27 at 2 p.m. for Warm Feet for Warriors. Socks are actually the most requested item for deployed servicemen and women, which is how the Warm Feet for Warriors project came to be.

Cub Scout Pack 35 is joining the sock collection drive that began in February and runs through May 31. All ...

SPOTSWOOD, NJ - Stitch in Time was started by Diane Charlesworth in 2015 when she worked as a clerk for the Spotswood Public Library. The group began simply enough, meeting at the library to help share the physical and mental health benefits of knitting and crocheting with enthusiasts and novices. In the beginning, the group had seven members. In the past four years, Stitch in Time has grown in ...

SPOTSWOOD, NJ - Stitch in Time was started by Diane Charlesworth in 2015 when she worked as a clerk ...

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - During the Memorial Day holiday, about 10,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide will be out on the roads from May 20 through June 2 to remind drivers and passengers to buckle their seat belts. The annual Click It or Ticket campaign aims at enforcing seat belt use to help keep travelers safe as they drive to their summer destinations.

According to NHTSA, 10,076 people who ...

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - During the Memorial Day holiday, about 10,000 law enforcement agencies ...

SOUTH RIVER, NJ - Although the South River Police Department responded quickly to a call that a man had barricaded himself in a residence in the township, the man apparently shot himself in a disturbing incident yesterday.

Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and Chief Mark Tinitigan of the South River Police Department announced that yesterday authorities responded to an armed male ...

SOUTH RIVER, NJ - Although the South River Police Department responded quickly to a call that a man ...

SPOTSWOOD, NJ - Mark the calendars for the Immaculate Conception Summer Carnival on Tuesday, June 11 through Saturday, June 15. The annual carnival kicks off on June 11 and concludes with fireworks on June 15. Carnival hours are from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday and from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday.

WALL, NJ — Shake Shack, Auntie Anne's, Starbucks and Z-Mart are now open at the new Monmouth Service Area on the Garden State Parkway, milepost 100.

Last week, its fueling plaza, a convenience store and restroom facilities welcomed motorists after a 10-month closure that made way for the construction of a new main building by HMSHost and a new facilities by Sunoco. The entire project was built ...

WALL, NJ — Shake Shack, Auntie Anne's, Starbucks and Z-Mart are now open at the new Monmouth ...